{"title":"Books by Witold Rybczynski","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780300246063","title":"The Story of Architecture","description":"An inviting exploration of architecture across cultures and centuries by one of the field’s eminent authors   “Rybczynski’s expansive account traces the influence of social, technological, and economic shifts on architecture across centuries.”—New York Times Book Review  “The finest architectural writer in our language.”—Mark Alan Hewitt, New Criterion   In this sweeping history, from the Stone Age to the present day, Witold Rybczynski shows how architectural ideals have been affected by technological, economic, and social changes—and by changes in taste. The host of examples ranges from places of worship such as Hagia Sophia and Brunelleschi’s Duomo to living spaces such as the Katsura Imperial Villa and the Alhambra, national icons such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Sydney Opera House, and skyscrapers such as the Seagram Building and Beijing’s CCTV headquarters. Rybczynski’s narrative emphasizes the ways that buildings across time and space are united by the human desire for order, meaning, and beauty.      This is the story of architecture’s physical manifestation of the universal aspiration to celebrate, honor, and commemorate, and an exploration of the ways that each building is a unique product of patrons, architects, and builders. Firm in opinion, even-handed, and rooted in scholarship, this book will delight anyone interested in understanding the buildings they use, visit, and pass by each day.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56232243822965,"sku":"9780300246063","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780300246063_207e6c96-9266-464e-8e68-14388d5b6502.jpg?v=1786012311"},{"product_id":"9781324123514","title":"The Driving Machine – A Design History of the Car","description":"In this lively and entertaining work, Witold Rybczynski tells the story of the most distinctive cars in history and the artists, engineers, dreamers and gearheads who created them. Delving into more than 170 years of ingenuity in design, technology and engineering, he takes us from Carl Benz’s three-wheel motorcar in 1855 to the present-day shift to electric cars. Along the way, he looks at the emergence of mass production with Henry Ford’s Model T; the Golden Age of American car design; postwar European subcompacts; and the long tradition of the elegant sports car.   Rybczynski explores how cars have been reflections of national character (the charming Italian Fiat Cinquecento), icons of a subculture (the VW bus for American hippies) and even emblems of an era (the practical Chrysler minivan). He explains key developments in automotive technology, bringing to light how the modern automobile is the result of more than a century of trial and error. And he weaves in charming accounts of the many cars he’s owned and driven, starting with his first—a Volkswagen Beetle.   The Driving Machine is a breezy and fascinating history of design, illustrated with the author’s delightful drawings.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":56368674275701,"sku":"9781324123514","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781324123514_4b3609d0-c8a3-46c1-a11a-d919310f9c0b.jpg?v=1792599270"},{"product_id":"what-architecture-is","title":"What Architecture Is","description":"Witty, personal, and engaging, this cri de coeur from an esteemed critic takes on the age-old question of what elevates a mere building into an art formWhat is it about architecture that distinguishes it from ordinary building? Frustrated with the many cookie-cutter buildings going up around his home in downtown Philadelphia, eminent architectural historian and critic Witold Rybczynski offers an immersive meditation on the question in this extended essay, an insightful and opinionated reflection on the essential qualities of architecture both historical and modern.   The book’s structure pays homage to John Ruskin’s treatise The Seven Lamps of Architecture; here, Rybczynski identifies his own guideposts: past, an awareness of ancient and modern architectural heritage; order, what emerges out of a careful plan; ornament, the addition of decorative elements; meaning, how buildings speak; beauty, or aesthetics; drawing, as a means to the end; and place, in the sense of both how place influences a structure and how architects create a sense of place. Rybczynski addresses the complicated question of what architecture is through compelling compositions on renowned buildings and designs—Hadrian’s Arch, the Eiffel Tower, the Barcelona Pavilion—alongside examinations of lesser-known structures and charming anecdotes. The book is enlivened by fifty of the author’s black-and-white drawings, adding another personal touch to this captivating book.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57499367571829,"sku":"9780300292954","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780300292954.jpg?v=1791213001"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-witold-rybczynski.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}